Firefighting Fundamentals

Limiting access to fire scenes is important for safety.
Hazard control zones include cold, warm, and hot zones.
The fire perimeter is staffed by police to keep unauthorized people away.
Incident conditions determine the dimensions of the fire perimeter.
Electrical hazards are common at fire scenes.
Firefighters should take immediate action to warn others of electrical hazards.
Failure to warn others of electrical hazards can lead to electrocutions.
Firefighters should treat all downed power lines as if they are energized.
Firefighters should wear appropriate personal protective clothing and footwear when dealing with electrical hazards.
Water should not be applied directly to electrical equipment that is burning or arcing.
Modern synthetic fuels in residential occupancies burn faster and progress to flashover conditions much sooner than fuels found in mid-20th-century homes
Structural firefighting tactics are based on materials found in homes 50 or more years ago
Fires in a less-ventilated room would go into decay as the fire consumed available oxygen
Probability of saving lives in the fire compartment is greatly diminished when firefighters arrive after flashover
Larger rooms with different furnishings may take longer to reach flashover conditions, allowing more time to conduct rescue activities on the interior
Providing additional air by opening doors, windows, and roofs could lead to a rapid increase in combustion in a ventilation-limited fire compartment
Structural stability and survivability were not tested during UL experiments
Structural stability is compromised as the fire continues to burn through the growth phase to the fully developed phase
Structural stability is highly dependent on construction methods and materials
The longer the fire burns, the greater the risk to firefighters and occupants.
Fire growth and time are critical factors in building and structural fires.
Occupant survival probability is low after a structural collapse due to fire.
Different fuel configuration, ventilation profile, or structure type/size can change fire time value and curve configuration.
Building fires involve contents while structural fires involve actual structural members.
Fires progress from building fires to structural fires during the progression to flashover.
Fires entering concealed spaces present many problems.
Concealed fires can harm firefighters by cutting off their egress.
Table 5-5 lists time variables from ignition to effective actions on the fire ground.
The time variables are subject to change depending on local resources and fire conditions.
Brannigan's Building Construction for the Fire Service distinguishes between building and structural fires.